Clinton Questions Obama As Agent Of Change

Clinton: "I think that we’re all advocating for change. We all want to change the status quo which is George W. Bush and the Republican domination of Washington… I don’t think you make change by calling for it or demanding it…I do think that part of what this primary process is all about,a nd New Hampshire voters are famously independent in making our judgments…there is a lot of our room to ask all of our questions…Sen. Obama could have a pretty good debate with himself…four years ago, he was for single payer health care, then he moved to a more incremental approach, then he was for universal health care, then he moved toward a plan he doesn’t cover everybody."

Obama: "I have entirely consistent on my position on health care. If I was designing a system from scratch, I would set up a single payer system. What I’ve also said is that given that half the people are getting employer-based health care, it would be impractical to do so. John and yourself believe that if we don’t force taxpayers to buy health care, that we won’t penalize them in some fashion. I disagree that because I don’t meet people who are trying to avoid getting health care, … it’s that people who don’t afford it."

Obama talks about raising the payroll taxes…

Clinton: “You have a mandate. Obviously, you did that because you want all children covered. So.. you stopped short of going the distance to make sure that we had a system that could actually deliver health care for everyone. “You’ve changed positions within three years on a range of issues…youv’e said you would vote against the Patriot Act, you came to the send, you voted for it… you voted for 300 billion dollars [of Iraq war spending]…”

Obama: “What I think is important that we don’t do is that we try to distort each other’s record as the primary here in New Hampshire approaches.”

Edwards: “Anytime you speak out for change, the forces of status quo attack...”

Clinton: “Making change is not about what you do believe. It’s not about a speech you make. It’s about working hard. There are 7,000 kids who have health care because I worked hard to help create the children’s health insurance program. I want to make change, but I’ve always made change. I’m not just promise of change, I’m running of 35 years of change..taking on the drug companies, the health insurance companies, the oil companies. We don’t need to be raising the false hopes of our country about what can be delivered.”